Corn-planter check-rower



(No Model.)

L. D. BENNER.

001m PLANTER CHECK ROWER.

No. 321,077. Patented June so, 1885,.

per

N. PETERS. Phokwuflwgrlphar. Wuhinglon. D. C.

$1701). fimr,

NITED STATES LORENZO D. BENNER, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

CORN-PLANTER CHECK-ROWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,077, dated June 30, 1885.

Application filed June 27, 1884. (No model.)

T0 at 1071 0771/ it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LORENZO D. BENNER, of Peoria, in the county of Peoria, in the State of Illinois, have invented an Improved Corn- Planter Check-Bower; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which like letters of reference refer to like parts, and in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the invention, Fig. 2, a plan view of a portion of the check-rowing mechanism; Fig. 3, a side view of the same; Fig. 4, a perspective detail view of another portion of the checkrower mechanism.

This invention is in the line of check-rowers in which a knotted cord or wire intermittently oscillates a bifurcated lever whose movement, through the medium of a hooked rod, communicates an oppositely reciprocative motion to two rack-bars having a pinion meshing with each, said pinion serving as the lock for the mechanism, and the means for giving the required stroke to the feed-slide.

My invention relates, first, to means whereby the hooked rod connected with the bifurcated lever shall engage with first one and then the other of the rack-bars aforesaid; next, to such improvements as shall make suitably adjustable the intermediate lever through which the feed-slide of the corn'planter has its stroke communicated thereto from the check-rower mechanism; thirdly, to means whereby the stop that receives the backward throw of the bifurcated lever may be prevented from breakage; and, lastly, to mechanism for guiding the corn-planter at the required distance from each previous course.

My device for causing the hook of the rod connected with the bifurcated lever to engage alternately with the rack-bars of the checkrower consists of bent fingers pivoted to the ends of said bars, and adapted by sliding the one over the other to be r tracted one at a time by said hook.

In the drawings, I is the transverse supporting-beam of the check-rower, (only partially shown in Fig. 1,) and S represents the feed-slide of the corn-planter. At each end of the beam T is a cast-metal cross-head, t, by

which the bifurcated lever V is pivoted. In the drawings only one cross-head, lever, 8m, is shown; but the other is of course understood.

From each bifurcated lever V extends a rod, R, having a hook, r, at the inner end thereof. The bent or crooked fingers F are pivoted or hinged at the shank end of each to an end of the bars B. The crooksf of two neighboring fingers, F, are made to overlap each other, as

which the sheaves V are supported, and to shown in Fig. 2, and are runner-shaped, as Y shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to adapt either crook f to slide up over the other when drawn outwardly. The hook r can draw unhindered either finger F from its inner position over the ingoing finger to its outer point of travel. The pinion 0 being pivoted to the plate A, which is fastened to the beam T, it is evident that the passage of a bar B in one direction impels, by means of said pinion, the other bar B in the opposite direction; and thus as soon as one finger F and bar B has been retracted to the outer point of travel the other finger F and its bar B has moved toward the pin-' ion 0.

It is of course the impact of the knot of the check-row wire that deflects the bifurcated lever V, and gives thereby to the hooked rod B its movement away from the center of the beam T. Upon the freeing ofthe lever Vfrom the knot the spring J retracts said lever and the hook 1" leaves the crock f it has just pulled outward, and passes toward the inner one, f. To permit said hook r to slide up over and engage with this latter crook f, the center portion of the runner-like edge of each crook f is cut away, making a path inclining upward toward the pinion 0. Up this incline thehook 1" can easily slide and drop down behind the crook ready to pull the same outward so soon .as the next stroke of the lever V is made.

. Ears a and ribs a are formed on the plate A to retain the bars B in place thereon, and to keep the same from being raised off from said plate the pinion O is supplied with a'flange overlapping said bars.

On the upper face of the pinion C is a crankpin, to which is joined a connecting-rod, D. The other end of this rod is attached to the centrally-pivoted lever, L, by which the desired reciprocation is communicated to the feed-slide S. To permit the throw of the lever L to be changed to any degree without causing the end connected therewith f the rod D to be raised or lowered, and to permit horizontal adjustment of the said leverslower end, I have made the following construction:

The fulcrum-pin P of the lever L is formed with a grooved arm, 1 adapted to slide vertically upon the arm P rigidly fastened to the beam T. By means of a slot in said arm P", and different bolt-holes in the arm Pia bolt can be passed through said arms, and the pin P fastened at any desired point of vertical adjustment. In the same way the angle-iron E, to which the rod D is pivoted, is made adjustable toward and from the pin 1?.

To permit horizontal adjustment of the lower part of the lever L, it is made in two sections, the contiguous ends of which are bent at right angles, tongued and grooved, and given several bolt-holes, as in Fig. 4. Ifinstead of simply sliding the lower section, L", along the upper it is turned around one hundred and eighty degrees, a greater amount of adjustment is obtained.

The pin N has its base prolonged, grooved, and slotted similarly to the angle-iron E, and the part L of the lever is tongued on both sides to be adapted to hold the pin N on either side.

In Fig. 4. I have not shown the bolts, which are of course understood, as being used to fasten the different parts together in the manner indicated.

In adjusting the various parts of the lever I endeavor to have the center of the torsional strain given to the lever L by the power applied to the angle-iron E and resistance given to the pin N come as near as possible to the horizontal center of the pin 1?. The horizontal adjustment of the two sections LL of the lever permits me to approximate the desired result, and thus to decrease the twist and wear upon the pin P.

To keep the rod D at a uniform level and change the leverage of the lever L, each of the three bolts securing the angle-iron E, fulcrum-pin P, and pin N in place are loosened, and the lever L moved up or down, the pin N and angle-iron E being stationary, until the desired leverage is obtained, and the bolts then refastened.

In cross-heads t, which are formed of metal, the lug by which the bifurcated lever V is stopped at the end of its backward throw is usually cast as an integral part of said crosshead 15. This lug is exceedingly liable to be broken by the frequent blows of the lever, and the whole cross-head rendered useless. To remedy this, I make a removable stop, 0, held in place by a bolt, 0, passing through a hole made for it in the cross-head.

My device for guiding the driver in planting the rows of corn at the required distance from each previous course is as follows: A

slender rod, WV is pivoted at one end toasuitable support, W, rigidly fastened to the center of the beam T. Props W" arealso fastened to said beam to hold the rod W up out of the way of the lever V. From the free extremity of the rod W hangs a cord. chain, or stick, Z, loosely pivoted thereto. The length of the rod W is such that when the cord or chain Z rests its lower end in the nearest track made by the wheels of the corn planter, the latter is guided to drop the corn in rows the required distance from the former ones. This makes the length of the said rod W to be equal to one and one-half times the distance between two rows of corn, or about five feet.

This device is not a marker, but a guide adapted to aid the driver in keeping the planter at a proper distance from a mark previously made, such mark being the track made by one of the planter s wheels.

In going in one direction the rod W is turned to one side, while for the opposite direction said rod is changed over and rests upon the opposite prop, W. I also design to use two rods, W, and cords Z fastened in place, one at each side of the planter; but to facilitate driving the planter through gateways and other contracted ways, the single reversible rod is preferable.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, 1 represents a portion of the track made by the nearest wheel of the planter in its previous trip across the field.

The advantages which I gain by the use of my guide are, first, that the lightly-touching cord or stick Z make no side draft by their contact with the ground, which is far from the case with the heavy marker ordinarily used, the track left by the planter wheel being plainly discernible and not liable to obliteration even after a sharp shower or the intervention of a day or two of time.

What I claim asnew is- 1. In a check-rower, a bifurcated lever, and a hooked rod connected thereto and reciprocated intermittingly thereby, in combination with parallel bars arranged longitudinally of the beam T and movable in the same direction, a gear between the two whereby the movement of one moves the other in the opposite direction, and fingers F F pivoted to the ends 'of the said bars B, whereby, when they are engaged by the hook of the rod R, they are allowed movement sufficient for one to pass over the other, substantially as described.

2. In a check-rower, the bars B and means whereby the reciprocation of one of said bars shall conversely affect the other, in combination with the fingers F, one pivoted to each end of the said bars B, and the crooks f, formed at the free ends of said fingers, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a check-rower, the plate A, cars a, and central ribs, a, in combination with the pinion G, having bearings projecting from said plate, and the rack-bars B, as set forth.

4. In combination withthe bifurcated lever V and rod R, having hook 1", the rack-bars B, crooked fingers F, pinion 0, plate A, ears a, and ribs a, as and for the purpose herein set forth.

5. In combination with the pinion O and connectingrod D, the lever L, having fulcrum-pin P vertically adjustable, the angleiron E, adapted to be longitudinally adjusted along said lever, and the pin N, similarly adj ustable, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a lever for transmitting the reciprocatory motion of the checkrower to the feed- U slide of the planter, the lever L, means for making the lower arm thereof transversely adjnstable,and fulcrumpin P, vertically movable, in combination with the angle-iron E, and pin N, longitudinally adjustable upon the lever L, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. The angle-iron E, lever L, lower portion, L thereof adjustably secured thereto bythe rectangular arm L L, and the pin N, in combination with the pin P and arms P P, all joined together, as shown and described, by means of suitable tongue-and-groove joints, slots, boltholes,and bolts, for the purpose described.

8. In a check-rower, the metal cross-head t, removable stop 0, bifurcated lever V, and hooked rod It, in combination with the beam T, plate A, fast thereon, pinion O, rack-bars B, and crooked fingers F pivoted to said bars, as set forth.

9. In a check-rower, the beam '1, plate A, bars B, fingers F, and pinion O, in combination with the connecting-rod D, angle-iron E, lever L, fulcrum-pin P, vertically adjustable on the arm P projecting from said beam '1, the pin N,and slotted eye M, fast on the feedslide S of the planter, as described.

10. In a check-rower, the transverse-beam T, rack-bars B, longitudinally movablethereon, crooks formed at the ends of said bars and adapted to slide the one up over the other, and the pinion O, meshing with said rack-bars, in combination with the hooked rods R and bifurcated levers V, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of June, 1884.

LORENZO D. BENNER.

Witnesses:

GEO. M. GIBBoNs, PETER F. HARMON. 

